Erecting arrangement for portable building



June 30, 1964 B. B. GREENBIE 3,138,828

ERECTING ARRANGEMENT FOR PORTABLE BUILDING Filed April 20, 1962 2 SI' xeets-Sheet 1 IMIENTOR. .5462: 6 fee- 44 BY Mcfc? /70 emf/.5

June 30, 1964 B. B. GREENBIE ERECTING ARRANGEMENT FOR PORTABLE BUILDING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 20, 1962 INVEN TOR. 5486/5 5 'eff/va/f BY 0 Patented June 30, 1964 ice ERECTING This invention relates generally to an erecting structure for a portable building and more particularly to a collapsible building structure.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a portable building structure which employs a plurality of I-beams hingedly connected at the inner ends thereof. The beams are adapted to support a light weight roof. A plurality of hollow posts are hingedly connected to the I-beams at the outer ends thereof, while a plurality of braces are pivotally secured to channel shaped slide members movably mounted on the beams inwardly of the posts. Rollers are used for mounting the channel shaped slide members on the I-beams with the rollers moving along the flanges of the Poems. The posts and braces are pivotally mounted on anchors and cables which extend through the posts are connected to the slide members so that when the cable is pulled the slides are moved towards the ends of the beams causing the portable building structure to be erected by raising the beams and pivoting the inner ends of the beams upwardly.

An object of this invention is to provide a portable building structure which can be easily erected, yet which may be rapidly dismantled for movement from one location to another and which may employ a winch or other simple mechanism for use in erecting the building structure.

A further object of the invention is to provide a portable building structure in which the erecting arrangement therefor is substantially concealed, and which erecting arrangement is adapted to remain in situm with the building in erected condition until such time as it is desired to dismantle the portable building and move it to a different side for erection.

An additional object of the invention resides in the provision of a portable building structure and erecting arrangement therefor which is adapted to be erected using a minimum amount of labor, light in weight, capable of being manufactured out of readily available materials, inexpensive to construct and erect, yet which is strong and durable.

These, together with various ancillary objects and features of the present invention which will become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by this erecting arrangement for a portable building, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, by way of example only, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a building constructed in accordance with the concept of the present invention with the portion of the roof broken away to illustrate other parts;

FIG. 2 is a schematic elevational view illustrating the manner in which two of the beams with associated posts and braces are erected in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a partial schematic elevational view illustrating the erecting arrangement in a lowered position in phantom lines and showing the erected position in solid lines;

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the erecting arrangement forming an embodiment of the present invention with parts thereof being broken away to show details of construction of other parts thereof;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of a portion of the erecting arrangement;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the plane of line 6-6 in FIG. 5 illustrating the connection between an I-beam and apost and further illustrating the cable mounting arrangement;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the plane of line 7-7 in FIG. 5 illustrating a channel shaped slide member mounted on an I-beam;

FIG. 8 is a vertical exploded sectional view illustrating further details of construction of the I-beam and channel shaped slide member; and

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along the plane of line 9-9 in FIG. 5 illustrating details of construction of an anchor utilized in the present invention.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, reference numeral 10 generally designates a portable building constructed in accordance with the concepts of the present invention. In the illustrative embodiment of portable building 10 there is shown a circular shaped structure. Of course, square, rectangle, polygonal or other shaped buildings may be constructed in accordance with the teachings of this invention.

The portable building structure 10 is adapted to be mounted on any suitable base or foundation 12. The foundation 12 may be constructed of poured concrete, or may be of wood and in some instances earth may be hard packed to form at least a portion of the founda tion 12.

The erecting structure for the building It) includes a plurality of anchors 14 to which posts 16 and braces 18 are pivotally connected. The posts 16 in turn are pivotally connected to beams 20. The braces 18 are pivotally connected to slide members 22 movably mounted on the I-beams 20. The I-beams 20 are pivotally interconnected by any suitable center mounting member 24. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the beams 20 may be arranged in pairs, or the beams 20 may be interconnected to each other at the center of a circular building 10 as seen in FIG. 1. The beams when arranged in spaced parallel pairs can be used to form a rectangular shaped building.

Each of the anchors 14 is secured to the foundation 12 by bolts 30 or the like which extend through the base plate 32 of each anchor 14. A pair of trapezoidal shaped trunnions 34 and 36 rise upwardly from the base plate 32.

The posts 16 and the braces 18 are pivotally secured to the trunnions 34 and 36. Each post 16 includes a tubular main portion 38 and a pair of depending plates 4% and 42 which are welded or otherwise attached to the main tubular portion 38 on opposite sides thereof and which are designed so as to fit inwardly of the trunnions 34 and 36.

Each of the braces 18 have a pair of plates 44 and 46 welded or otherwise secured to the main tubular portion 48 thereof. The plates 44 and 46 are adapted to be disposed on opposite sides of the main tubular portion 48 and outwardly of the trunnions 34 and 36. A shaft 50 extends through and between the trunnions 34 and 36 and through and between the pairs of plates 40 and 42, and 44 and 46. The shaft 50 serves as the pivotal mounting means for the post 16 and braces 18 with respect to the trunnions 34 and 36 of the anchors 14.

The beam 20 is I-shaped in cross section, having a web 60, upper flanges 62 and 64, and lower flanges 66 and 68. Adjacent the outer end 70 of each beam 20, the lower flanges 66 and 68 are cut away as at 72 so that the outer end portion of the beam is substantially of a T-shape in cross section. Each beam 20 has the post 16 associated therewith pivoted thereto by means of plates 3 74 and 76 which are welded or otherwise secured on either side of the tubular portion 38 of the post. A shaft 78 extends through the straps 74 and 76 and through the web 60 to provide the pivotal mounting means for each post 16.

Slidably mounted on each beam 20 are the slide members 22. The slide members 22 are substantially channel shape in cross section, having sides 80 and 82 interconnected by a top portion 84. The sides 80 and 32 have inwardly extending flanges 86 and 88 which are adapted to underlie the flanges 66 and 68. A plurality of cross members 90, 92, 94, 96 are welded or otherwise secured to and extend between the flanges 86 and 83.

The slide 22 is movable in a sliding manner along the beam 20 by means of pairs of rollers 98, 100, and 102, etc., the other roller paired with roller 16?. not being visible in the drawings. These rollers ride on the flanges 66 and 68 and are engageable with the flanges 62 and 64 to reduce friction and to provide for the sliding action desired. The rollers 98 and 100 are mounted on axles 99 journalled on sides 80, 82 and extend toward the Web 60 while the roller 102 and its mate are mounted on axles 101. The axles 101 also are journalled on sides 80, 82 and extend toward the web 60.

Welded or otherwise secured to the sides 30 and 82 of slide member 22 are plates 104 and 106. A shaft 108 is used for pivoting the plates 104 and 166 to the tubular portion 48 of the brace 18.

Pivoted to the side walls 80 and 82 of the slide members 22 are fittings in the form of eyes 110 and 112 to which a pair of cables 114- and 116 are attached. The cables have their opposite ends attached to eye shaped fittings 118 and 120, which are secured to a connecting member 122 to which an eye fitting 124 at the end of a cable 126 is attached. The cables 114 and 116 are entrained over pulleys 130 and 132, which are rotatably mounted by means of the pin 78 which extends through the Web 60. The cable 126 is entrained over a pulley 140 mounted on the pin 50 so that the end 142 of the cable may conveniently be connected to a winch for providing the power to be used in erecting the portable building structure.

With the beams 20, slide members 22, braces 18, and posts 16 in the position as is shown in phantom lines in FIG. 3, the entire building structure may be simultaneously erected by simultaneously pulling the ends 142 of the cables through operation of a winch or winches. It is to be noted that the slide members 22 are positioned towards the inner ends of the beams away from the outer ends when the beams 20 are in their lowered position. Then, pulling upon the cable ends 142 will cause the slide members to move towards the outer ends of the beams 120, which will pivot the braces 18 with respect to the beams 20 and the anchors 14 and likewise pivoting the posts 16. This will raise the beams 20 while pivoting the beams so that the inner ends of the beams will be raised higher than the outer ends to attain the position as shown in FIG. 3 in solid lines. I

It is within the concept of the present invention to arrange any suitable roof on top of the beams 20 such as that of canvas, nylon, synthetic plastic materials, panels, or the like. Alternatively, a suitable membrane and reinforcement may be provided on which concrete may be poured or sprayed as by the Gunite process.

The slide members 22 may be locked in their erected position by transverse pins extending through aligned apertures in the slide members and in the beams. Any other suitable means may be used to lock the slide members in their erected position.

A latitude of modification, change and substitution is intended in the foregoing disclosure and in some instances some features of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the spirit and scope of the invention herein.

What I claim is:

1. A portable building structure comprising a plurality of beams having inner ends and outer ends, means at said inner ends of said beams hingedly connecting said beams together, a plurality of posts, one of said posts being hingedly connected to each of said beams at the outer end thereof, slide means on each of said beams, and a plurality of braces having inner and outer ends, said inner end of each of the braces being pivotally secured to each of said slide means and said outer end of the braces being pivotally mounted on said posts for lifting said beams upon movement of said slide means towards said outer ends of said beams.

2. A portable building structure according to claim 1, including a plurality of anchors, one of said anchors being pivotally connected to the lower ends of each of said posts, and said braces being pivotally connected to said anchors.

3. A portable building structure comprising a plurality of beams having inner ends and outer ends, means at said inner ends of said beams hingedly connecting said beams together, a plurality of posts, one of said posts being each hingedly connected to each of said beams at the outer end thereof, slide means on each of said beams, and a plurality of braces having inner and outer ends, said inner end of the braces being pivotally secured to each of said slide means and said outer end of the braces being pivotally mounted on said posts, and means connected to each of said slide means for moving said slide means towards said outer ends of said beams to lift said beams.

4. A portable building structure comprising a plurality of beams having inner ends and outer ends, means at inner ends of said beams hingedly connecting said beams together, a plurality of posts, one of said posts being hingedly connected to each of said beams at the outer end thereof, a plurality of slide members, roller means secured to each of said slide members for movably mounting said slide members on said beams, and a plurality of braces having inner and outer ends, said inner ends of the braces being pivotally secured to each of said slide members and said outer ends of the braces being pivotally mounted on said posts for pivotally lifting the inner ends of said beams upon movement of said slide members towards said outer ends of said beams.

5. A portable building structure comprising a plurality of beams having inner ends and outer ends, means at inner ends of said beams hingedly connecting said beams together, a plurality of posts, one of said posts being hingedly connected to each of said beams at the outer end thereof, slide means movably mounted on each of said beams, a plurality of braces having inner and outer ends, said inner ends of each of the braces being pivotally secured to each of said slide means and said outer ends of the braces being pivotally mounted on said posts, and cable means connected to each of said slide means and trained through the outer ends of said posts for moving said slide means toward the ends of said beams to raise said beams while pivotally lifting said inner ends of said beams.

6. A portable building structure according to claim 5, including a plurality of footings, and means pivotally securing one of the brace and post interconnections to each one of said footings for pivotal movement only in the plane of said one of said beams.

7. A portable building structure comprising a plurality of I-beams having inner ends and outer ends, means at inner ends of said I-beams hingedly connecting said I- beams together, a plurality of hollow posts, one of said posts being hingedly connected to each of said I-beams at the outer end thereof, a plurality of braces having inner and outer ends, the inner end of each of said braces being pivotally secured to each of said slide means and the outer end of the braces being pivotally mounted on said posts, channel shaped slide members, roller means movably mounting each of said slide members on said I- beams, anchors pivotally connected at the lower ends of said posts, the outer end of each of said braces being pivotally connected to said anchors, and cable means connected to each of said slide members and extending through the outer ends of each of said posts for moving said slide members towards said outer ends of said I-bearns so that said I-beams are raised and so that said inner ends of said beams are lifted and said posts and braces pivot about said anchors.

No references cited. 

1. A PORTABLE BUILDING STRUCTURE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF BEAMS HAVING INNER ENDS AND OUTER ENDS, MEANS AT SAID INNER ENDS OF SAID BEAMS HINGEDLY CONNECTING SAID BEAMS TOGETHER, A PLURALITY OF POSTS, ONE OF SAID POSTS BEING HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO EACH OF SAID BEAMS AT THE OUTER END THEREOF, SLIDE MEANS ON EACH OF SAID BEAMS, AND A PLURALITY OF BRACES HAVING INNER AND OUTER ENDS, SAID INNER END OF EACH OF THE BRACES BEING PIVOTALLY SECURED TO EACH OF SAID SLIDE MEANS AND SAID OUTER END OF THE BRACES BEING PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID POSTS FOR LIFTING SAID BEAMS UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID SLIDE MEANS TOWARDS SAID OUTER ENDS OF SAID BEAMS. 